Death Before Sour Mix

Menu

BlogFestivus, Day Ten: Tradition

Blogfestivus is a creative writing challenge issued by that clever elf Blogdramedy. Twelve days of 144-word stories based on the popular “Twelve Days of Christmas” song. Day Ten is “Ten Lords a Leaping”.

Tradition

They burst through the doors and into the massive hall. The Scourge of the North sat on his icy throne, surrounded by his deformed homunculi. The men leapt to battle.

The Scourge rose, sweeping his arm above his white mane and each man went crashing backwards into the walls – losing weapons and breaking bones. Striding forward, the Scourge swept his black-rimmed scarlet robe behind him and spoke:

“Heed me, Lords of Men. You live only to convey my message. Tell your peoples that every year, on the shortest day, they will dress their homes in garlands and lighted candles to honor me. Tell them to leave me tribute by the hearth. Tell them I will come unseen in the night and know.

Sadly, I tried – for several years – eating the mince pies and drinking the whisky left out for the red-coated gentleman in the hope it would piss him off enough that he would devour the kids – but the bugger never did !

My children always knew the truth behind Santa. On their first visits to the old Scourge, before they were fed the commercial propaganda, they cried, screamed and tried to get away. And I, not knowing any better, said, “Don’t cry, or Santa won’t come to our house!”